Burger King Seeks Masters For Pitch

April 24, 1989|By George Lazarus.

Burger King has gone to some of the fast-food industry`s masters of the fast phrase in the shootout for its $150 million advertising account.

Consider the trio of shops called on to make pitches for BK: Saatchi & Saatchi-New York, whose ``Where`s the Beef?`` pitch was a standout for former client Wendy`s; D`Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, also Manhattan, whose background includes the ``For the seafood lover in you`` line for ex-client Red Lobster; and J. Walter Thompson USA Chicago, whose sister office in Manhattan put in an 11-year stint (1976-1987) on Burger King, drumming up such slogans as ``Aren`t you hungry?``

This competition-the winner to be decided after the agencies present creative proposals in mid-May-appears to be a tossup.

Can JWT go home to Burger King? Traditionally, agencies have found it very difficult to do so.

But Burger King Corp., based in Miami, now is a different company than previously, most certainly a company with more problems, including sliding sales. BK, which dumped JWT to take on N.W. Ayer-New York in September, 1987, has a new parent, Grand Met, as well as a new management team.

BK recently has used some former Thompson creative as it reviewed its needs and concerns over the creative (``we do it like you`d do it, etc.``) it was getting from Ayer. But this may not mean anything.

That JWT Chicago got the nod to pitch Burger King over Thompson`s headquarters in New York may surprise some people. But it was BK`s decision that JWT Chicago pitch the account. Having JWT USA president Steve Bowen based in Chicago doesn`t hurt, either.

And isn`t it interesting that after all the talk about Foote, Cone & Belding Chicago landing Burger King, the account may land up the street at JWT?

Thompson, however, is hardly the favorite. That Saatchi & Saatchi will get a chance to pitch Burger King is significant, considering that Backer Spielvogel Bates, a sister agency under the Saatchi & Saatchi PLC banner, now works for Wendy`s. BK obviously doesn`t see a conflict, the Saatchi agencies operating independently of each other.

Gary L. Langstaff, Burger King`s new executive VP of marketing, once worked for Benton & Bowles before it became D`Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles via a merger. And B & B is a former agency of Hardee`s, where Langstaff recently was hanging his hat.

Ayer, while being dumped as BK`s ``lead`` agency with responsibility for national advertising, isn`t yet out of the picture. For the time being, Ayer holds on to regional advertising it has been providing Burger King.

Of the current $150 million budget, regional advertising has accounted for $90 million, Ayer Chicago being one of the Ayer offices involved.

Whether Ayer hangs on will depend on the thrust of future budgets. If BK decides to throw more dollars behind national advertising, at the expense of its overall $215 million marketing budget, Ayer will have a tough time holding on, especially if the new ``lead`` agency convinces the client it can do the regional work as well.

- Warner-Lambert Co.`s American Chicle unit is planning to reintroduce a sugar-free version of its Dentyne gum in June, sources say. Sugar-free Dentyne, with the sweetener being a combination of sorbitol and saccharin, was tested last year in Cedar Rapids, Ia. and Grand Junction, Colo., then removed from those markets. Presumably, Chicle is planning a national launch, the firm hoping that sugar-free Dentyne will give a sales boost to its line of sugar-free gums headed by Trident. Even though it has only been on the market since mid-1984, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.`s Wrigley`s Extra, a sugar-free gum featuring NutraSweet, has become the top selling gum in recent months. Dentyne, incidentally, has been on the market since 1916.

There`s been a reshuffling at the creative helm at Lois/GGK, resulting in formation of a new agency-Fairman & Schmidt-in town. Moving up to executive VP and executive creative director at Lois/GGK is Mickey Brazeal, former senior VP-creative director. David Fairman, the agency`s president-chief creative officer, and Al Schmidt, Lois/GGK VP-executive art director, officially open their new agency at 3 Illinois Center next week. Ed Holzer, chairman-chief executive officer at Lois/GGK Chicago, assumes the presidency. Lee King, Lois/ GGK vice chairman, will continue to work primarily on client Alberto-Culver Co.

Jimmy Whitelaw, recently named Chicago manager for Ladies` Home Journal, moves over May 8 to the Chicago advertising sales staff of Sports Illustrated magazine. He`ll fill a post being vacated by the retirement of Phil Derian, who worked for Time Inc. for 26 years, including 17 with SI.